Circa Year 11, Cron sent an encrypted transmission to the High Council of the Tion Hegemony. He claimed descent from the iron-fisted Xim the Despot who once governed the Kingdom of Cron which encompassed a large swath of the galaxy. With this justification, Cron demanded the Tion Cluster be relinquished by its current government and its territory ceded to his nascent movement known as the Cron Resurrection.[1] His demands were ignored. Shortly thereafter, Helena Gladio, a Falleen barterer and Tion citizen, conspired with Paul Cron to orchestrate a surprise attack against the Tion Hegemony. With Gladio's collaboration, Cron insurrectionists infiltrated the Hegemony, planted explosives at vital power generators, disabled the facilities, and thus enabled several planets to be invaded.[2] Declared to be enemies of the state, the full military power of the Tion Hegemony was mobilized against the insurgents. However, during this chaotic period of mobilization, a Cron sympathizer Zara Sturm assassinated Jeff Corbin, a former Lord Hegemon, aboard his vessel.[2]

Over the subsequent weeks, hostilities increased between Tion forces and Cron guerrillas as four outlying planets and a moon were seized by the insurgency.[3] Allegedly supplied with rare technology by the Anzatan Commonwealth or Trade Federation, the insurgents were able to manufacture and sell military droids on the black market for exorbitant sums.[1] Now well-financed, the fledgling rebellion sabotaged development projects as well as stole starships and kidnapped personnel of the Hegemony. The conflict soon escalated.[3] By Year 11 Day 100, many sentient beings had been reportedly killed by government troops or Cron partisans. Furthermore, millions of were allegedly displaced within the sector and thousands of refugees fled to neighboring star systems.

At this point, the Tion Hegemony appealed to the Imperial Union for military aid. The combined forces of Tion and the Union launched a sweeping counter-attack against the Cron guerrillas. In a daring operation, they captured Paul Cron and four other partisans. According to fragmented records, Cron is believed to have been summarily executed. Without its leader, the insurrection soon collapsed and, on Year 11 Day 297, a peace accord was signed between the last holdouts of resistance and the Tion Hegemony.[4]

Contents

History

Origins

"There is no insurgency within the Hegemony. This Cron nuisance did not come from within Tion... Other than causing irritation through mad ramblings and delusions of grandeur, the Cron Resurrection does not threaten the Hegemony..."

The seeds of insurgency were sown in the year preceding the formal start of the Cron Conflict by the demands of a regime change within the Tion Cluster following the formation of the Tion Hegemony under the Corbin dynasty. The Cron Resurrection, "a cult of personality following historical Tionese leader Xim the Great," emerged as the organization behind the public demand of a regime change to one under its leader, Paul Cron. Signs of trouble brewed as production assets owned by Cron Resurrection began focusing on military droid technology over medical technology and Cron agents spreading allegations against the Hegemony leadership such as "maltreatment of citizens and personnel [and] allegations of misuse of credits, rigged raffles, higher crime and lower morale and luxuriant lifestyles at the expense of the populace." The demands for a regime change were rebuffed and accusations against the Hegemony dismissed by former Lord Hegemon Jeff Corbin as well as reigning Lord Hegemon Typhon Corbin in a story by State Wireless Network.[1]

Attack of the Crons

Cron rebels set off explosives on several planets causing power failures.

"The Tion Hegemony has been betrayed by one we thought was our own. Helena Gladio, the reputable trader who got her start in the Hegemony, has used her position within our government to undermine all we stand for. She has used the trust and friendship I bestowed upon her to orchestrate an attack against us. Not only did she betray our trust, but she conspired with the likes of Paul Cron, leader of the so-called Cron Resurrection..."

Aided by the betrayal of a trusted Tion official, Helena Gladio, the insurgents led by Paul Cron were able to launch simultaneous strikes on the power generators of several Tionese worlds in an attempt to gain ground for an extended military conflict. In a statement issued shortly after the initial attack by Lord Hegemon Typhon Corbin on Corlax III, Helena Gladio and Paul Cron were officially declared enemies of the government along with collaborating sleeper agents, Peter Hydra and Tal Avaya.[2] Caught off guard by the scope of the initial strike, widespread destruction were reported on Tionese holdings on Corlax III, Cadinth, Voss II, Embaril III and Piluvia II with the purpose of the damaged infrastructure disputed by both sides. The Cron Resurrection claimed that the affected worlds were prison planets for nearly eight million "political prisoners" while Tionese officials claimed that the damaged infrastructure included "residential complexes, private offices, personal residences and busy commerce centers [...] as well as hospitals and churches."[3][5]

One of several refugee camps established by Cron Resurrection.

In the days following the initial attack, the Cron Resurrection claimed to have established a series of "refugee camps" for the alleged "political prisoners" and other facilities to secure a beachhead against Tionese counterattack. In a brief statement to the media, Cron Resurrection leader and self-proclaimed king, Paul Cron claimed a "major buildup of military operations" was imminent with the recruiting of additional soldiers from the "refugee camps" and the material support of an unnamed government.[3] On the opposing front, the Hegemony allowed media outlets and reporters onto Piluvia II to provide firsthand accounts of the devastation wrought by the insurgency while condemning the attacks upon civil, medical and residential targets as "vicious acts of sabotage". Although some progress were made against the insurrection on the ground with several Cron agents killed and another agent captured, a counter-offensive by Tion forces in response to the raids was reportedly stalled by infiltration by Cron sympathizers. In the chaos of the raids and infiltration, former Lord Hegemon Jeff Corbin was assassinated by former Tionese Dark Jedi Zara Sturm aboard his vessel "Lady Luck."[5]

The Hegemony Strikes Back

"After witnessing Cron Resurrections' atrocities against the innocent citizens of Tion, we were left with no choice. The operation was carried out swiftly and was a great success. We now have new strongholds and safe houses on the planets that were damaged by the Cron Resurrection terrorists. In addition, we've successfully cut power to the Cron Resurrection headquarters with the aid of the Aurodium Legion without causing any casualties for either side. Despite our best efforts to the contrary, each day the body count rises and more suffering is felt by Tion and Cronese sentients alike. We urge our fellow sentients to aid us in doing whatever we can to stop this foolish conflict and restore peace to [the Tion Cluster]..."

Circa Year 11 Day 113, approximately fifty standard days into the insurgency, the Tion Hegemony launched a coordinated counter-offensive on the Cron positions with the assistance of the Imperial Union under the joint command of Dax Owok of the Tion Hegemony, Martin Oberan of the Trade Federation, and Ankthar LeMarre of Hapes Consortium. Tionese officials claimed that the counter-offensive was aided by two unnamed Cron Resurrection defectors that were appalled by alleged war crimes committed by the insurgency including the "bombing of non-military facilities, forcing civilian laborers to work in a warzone despite repeated warnings via leaflets dropped by the Tion Military, and ultimately abandoning said workers to their fates once armed forces showed up." Various departments within the Hegemony aided the coalition forces in securing strongholds to stake out defensive positions on the front-lines and provide safe-houses in the rear for refugees and captured laborers.[6] As the counter-offensive intensified, much of the attention in the media turned toward speculations within diplomatic and intelligence circles that the Tion Hegemony would formally align itself with the Imperial Union due the latter's show of force.[7] On Year 11 Day 226, coalition forces coordinated an assault on Cron territory. Due to the efforts of Jaster Gav and Cirxis Cronossk, the forces captured Paul Cron along with four of his advisers. This feat was followed shortly afterward by the collapse and dissolution of the Cron Resurrection. Remnants of the Cron insurgency still persisted under the umbrella of the shell corporation Kaos Galactica Incorporated (KGI) led by Helena Gladio, but eventually they sued for peace with the Tion Hegemony.[4]

Withdrawal of Cron Remnant forces from the Tion Cluster and coalition forces from Piluvia II

Evacuation of Tion citizens from Piluvia II

Aftermath

"I want to make it known, though, that while we have a peace treaty with KGI, Helena and those directly responsible remain enemies of Tion and will be hunted down individually. We have not signed a non-aggression pact that prevents us from seeking them out. We will not stop until the ones who betrayed us have been brought to justice..."

Despite its relatively short time span, the Cron Conflict would have far-reaching consequences in the balance of power within the galaxy with the Tion Hegemony formally aligning itself with the Imperial Union around sixty standard days after the cessation of hostilities. The Cron Remnants later consolidate its business interests in the Torch Nebula Sector and reformed itself into the Torch Nebula Klan within a year of the peace agreement. To this day, the legend of Paul Cron and his brief uprising are still discussed by inhabitants of various backwater systems within the Tion Cluster.

Key Figures

Paul Cron

As a notable individual in the Cron Conflict with the Tion Hegemony, the Duros revolutionary claimed Xim the Despot was his ancestor, even though such claim is unfounded due to the biological incompatibility between Duros and Humans. Several months after Jeff Corbin retired from the office of Lord Hegemon, Cron called for the Corbin Family to abdicate leadership of the Hegemony and formed his own movement called the Cron Resurrection. In the ensuing escalation, the Cron Resurrection targeted the power grid of several Tionese planets and attempted to wrest control of those worlds from the Hegemony with the aid of Helena Gladio, a trusted Tionese citizen. While attempting to carry out a new series of attacks, Tion Special Forces disabled and stormed his vessel, swiftly apprehending Cron and the crew on board without any bloodshed.[4] Although records concerning what followed his arrest are scarce, it is believed that Paul Cron was executed. His body was never found.

Jeff Corbin

The future leader of the Tion Hegemony, Jeff Corbin was born on a freighter owned by his parents, Wan and Haley Corbin, who subsisted by delivering cargo for various companies. During a routine shipment to Tatooine, the freighter malfunctioned. With only enough space on the escape pod for one, his parents were forced to put their son aboard and ejected him into space. As he watched his parents die in the explosion, he was filled with guilt and, for many years, he wandered through the galaxy questioning his reason for existence. Somehow, he overcome this emotional loss and became a miner. He rose to become Chief Executive Officer of the Nikklon Mining Corporation and, after founding the Tion Hegemony, was named its first Lord Hegemon. Under his leadership, the government fought to push the New Anzat Order out of the Tion Cluster once and for all. He was later assassinated on Year 11 Day 72 aboard his ship "Lady Luck" by Zara Sturm during the Cron Conflict.

Zara Sturm

Tall with blonde hair and amber eyes, Zara Sturm was a femaleHuman purportedly born on Gand and raised to be a devoted follower of Alissma's traditions. Upon realizing she was Force sensitive, Sturm embarked on the long arduous path to becoming a Jedi, but was ultimately seduced by the Dark Side. After enlisting in the Tion Hegemony, she asserted that she witnessed prison camps run by the latter government and decided to take action. She clandestinely joined "Embaril Marches," a revolutionary cell linked with the Cron Resurrection. After extensive planning, she successfully infiltrated a Tion starship and assassinated Jeff Corbin, the former Lord Hegemon and a powerful Jedi Knight. Along with Corbin's many treasures, Sturm retrieved a set of Republic Commando armor which she later had reworked into a more female version with contours and padding to fit her slender body. She reportedly became a smuggler and eventually fell into the hands of Vigo Jormungand Gand of Black Sun.